NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: The role of vegetative development on plant response to environmental stress from genomic and physiological perspectives

本行动资助2021财年美国国家科学基金会植物基因组生物学博士后研究奖学金。该奖学金支持奖学金获得者在主办实验室的研究和培训计划，该奖学金获得者还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。埃里卡·H·劳伦斯博士的研究和培训计划的题目是“从基因组和生理学的角度看营养发育在植物对环境胁迫反应中的作用”该奖学金的主办机构是宾夕法尼亚州立大学，赞助科学家是杰西·R·拉斯基博士。植物的形态和功能随着植物在不同发育阶段的转变而改变。植物发育阶段的形态和生理变化影响着植物对环境的响应和生产性能。虽然植物向生殖过渡的影响已经引起了生物学家的大部分关注，但在幼年和成年营养阶段之间更为视觉上微妙的过渡，即营养阶段变化，仍有很多东西需要学习。本项目研究了重要作物高粱（sorghum bicolor (L) Moench）的营养相变如何改变植物对环境胁迫的耐受性，以及这种转变时间的变化如何使植物在其本地气候中受益。这种对植物性能发育影响的研究将为加强作物育种、恢复和保护工作提供新的资源。这里资助的研究将提供发育生物学、基因组学、进化和生态遗传学、RNA测序和基因表达方面的培训。更广泛的影响包括通过与费城和中心县社区的既定项目合作，扩大历史上被排除在STEM领域的群体的参与，开发与植物生物学相关的K12课程，以及为本科生提供培训机会。为了理解营养相变对植物性能的影响，我们必须更好地理解与之相关的自然变异、适应选择和生理变化。利用具有遗传多样性和抗逆性的作物品种高粱（sorghum bicolor (L) Moench），该项目将确定1)适应不同气候的基因型之间围绕营养阶段变化时间的自然变异，这种变异的遗传调控因子，以及这些调控因子的环境选择证据，以及2)幼期和成年期营养阶段干旱响应的转录组学和生理差异。为此，植物阶段变化的时间将在不同的绘图面板上进行评分。该数据集将用于确定自然变异的遗传调控因子，并研究营养阶段变化的时间与重要植物性能性状之间的关系。将使用种群和数量遗传统计方法来检验这些调节因子正在被选择并在地方适应中发挥作用的证据。在田间，基因型将在幼年期或成虫期遭受干旱胁迫，以辨别这些阶段之间干旱胁迫反应的转录组学和生理变化。此外，了解干旱暴露的时间和营养相变如何相互作用，以影响整个植物的性能将获得。这些目标将共同描述植物阶段变化如何有助于自然和农业生态系统的适应和未来育种工作。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Plant Genome Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Dr. Erica H Lawrence is "The role of vegetative development on plant response to environmental stress from genomic and physiological perspectives" The host institution for the fellowship is the Pennsylvania State University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Jesse R Lasky.Plant form and function is altered as plants transition through different developmental phases. The changes in morphology and physiology that accompany developmental phase transitions influence plant environmental response and performance. While the impact of the vegetative-to-reproductive transition has garnered most of the attention of biologists, there is still much to learn about the more visually subtle transition between juvenile and adult vegetative phases, known as vegetative phase change. This project investigates how vegetative phase change alters plant tolerance of environmental stressors in the important crop species sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench), and how variation in the timing of this transition may benefit plants in their native climates. This examination of developmental effects on plant performance will generate new resources to enhance crop breeding, restoration and conservation efforts. The research funded here will provide training in developmental biology, genomics, evolutionary and ecological genetics, RNA sequencing and gene expression. Broader impacts include broadening participation of historically excluded groups in STEM fields through partnerships with established programs serving the Philadelphia and Centre county, PA communities, the development of K12 curriculum related to plant biology, and training opportunities for undergraduates.To understand what role vegetative phase change has on plant performance, we must gain a better understanding of the natural variation, adaptive selection and altered physiology associated with it. Using the genetically diverse and stress tolerant crop species sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench), the project will identify 1) The natural variation surrounding the timing of vegetative phase change among genotypes locally adapted to diverse climates, genetic regulators of this variation, and evidence of environmental selection on these regulators, and 2) Transcriptomic and physiological differences of drought response between juvenile and adult vegetative phases. To do so, variation in the timing of vegetative phase change will be scored across a diverse mapping panel. This data set will be used to identify the genetic regulators of natural variation and to investigate associations between the timing of vegetative phase change and important plant performance traits. Approaches in population and quantitative genetic statistics will be used to test for evidence that these regulators are under selection and play a role in local adaptation. In the field, genotypes will be subjected to drought stress during either juvenile or adult phases to discern transcriptomic and physiological variation in drought stress response between these phases. Further, an understanding of how the timing of drought exposure and vegetative phase change interact to effect whole plant performance will be gained. Together these aims will provide a depiction of how vegetative phase change may contribute to adaptation and future breeding efforts for both natural and agricultural ecosystems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.